Do you remember taking those Flintstone vitamins when you were a kid? Anyone growing up in the 70’s and 80’s might remember happily crunching on those candy-like tablets, which are still the number one chewable vitamin recommended by pediatricians for kids. Why am I thinking about children’s vitamins, you ask?

Well, my mind is not just wandering at random – it’s the first day of Mine Expo in Las Vegas! While I’m here at WEFTEC in New Orleans, I’m also thinking about the important role the mining industry plays in our everyday lives. Just like water, minerals have a profound impact on peoples’ lives. According to the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME), “Americans will need more than 3 million pounds of minerals in their lifetime.” Take a minute to let that sink in! Without the mining industry, you wouldn’t have the minerals necessary to care for your health.

People may not realize the critical role the mining industry plays in our day-to-day lives. SME is trying to change that and has launched a campaign to improve public perception of the mining industry. This month, SME launched the Move Mining competition which challenges industry professionals to create a concept that helps promote the benefits of global mining efforts.

I recently spoke with an Empowering Pumps’ Partner about SME and the mining industry, and this is what Pam Aaron, Brand Manager for GIW Industries, Inc., had to say: “It’s very important that manufacturers who produce products for the mining industry show their support of the industry itself. That is a key to GIW being involved with SME. We attend all the SME events to show our support of the industry, to keep a beat on the needs of the mining industry, and we appreciate the forum that SME creates for us to meet with professionals working in the mining industry.”

If you are attending Mine Expo this week, please use our Industry Forum to tell me all about the cool stuff you are seeing and doing at that convention!